


Let's Play For It, Elizabeth

by Strawmari



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Hey there's a pool table, Toss in some feelings, a little fluff, a side of angst, and then there's Mick, poor mick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:42:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24712549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strawmari/pseuds/Strawmari
Summary: Beth shows up at Rio's bar to pitch her 'hot tub' idea.(Set in 3.10)
Relationships: Beth Boland/Rio
Comments: 22
Kudos: 225





	Let's Play For It, Elizabeth

**Author's Note:**

> For @Pliny1985 who wanted the pool table scene to end a little differently.
> 
> I hope you enjoy and thanks soo much for reading!

Beth listened as Dean complained about his new job and how he foolishly installed a sauce dispenser in his car, fighting the urge to grab the nearest bourbon bottle when something he said made a lightbulb go off in her head.

He wanted to run the spa and yeah, Beth tuned out the part about him being better at it than Gayle because yadda yadda, none of that mattered to her. 

They needed a new system to wash their cash and it worked so well with Boland Motors, maybe there was a reason to let Dean stick around after all.

Ideally they would've waited until the hitman finished the job and Rio was out of the picture entirely, but that was looking like another five months at least. Fitzpatrick was ignoring them or as Annie put it, _"homie's ghosting us hard"._

He was leaving their messages unread, calls unreturned and continued to charge them for sushi dinners that weren't in relation to their job. They weren't going to pay him, he was a conman.

Maybe it was for the best that Fitzpatrick didn't pull the trigger and Rio was still running around Detroit. Beth often asked herself, WWRD — what would Rio do and the girls quickly picked up on that.

_"You're not a scary gangbanger with throat tats, you're a mom with a chinese symbol on her hip"._

Beth was confident that the spa would work, but the voice in the back of her head kept reminding her about the raid and the next thing Beth knew she was standing in front of Rio pitching the idea.

"Hot tubs".

Annie and Ruby would never let her hear the end of it. They worked their asses off perfecting their cash and saving their shares to hire Fitzpatrick, only for Beth to openly invite Rio to join their next venture.

_"Tell that to your boy"._

_"He's not my boy"._

Maybe it would be best if it stayed a secret for a while, just until everything blew over.

"Rich people love them, negotiable prices-" she carried on despite Rio interrupting her about his shot, "-financing plans, layaway, there's like a million ways to cook the books".

He kept his eyes on the game and Beth wasn't sure he was even listening to her. The last pitch she gave was regarding the botox they stole from Nancy. Rio gave her his full attention even though he had no interest in the product. 

"It's not regulated, there's no licensing, any idiot can sell them and I know just the guy".

She expected Rio to at least crack a smile at her calling Dean an idiot, even though he preferred to call her husband a dumbass.

Dean was a terrible car salesman. He loved sports cars and that was great for a hobby, but it did nothing for the business. Maybe if he spent more time honing his craft instead of fucking his secretary and losing all their money they'd be in a different position.

Still, Dean was a showman. When they initially gave him cash to wash at the dealership he used it on a eighty foot gorilla that could be seen from the highway. They had to step in because he was spending more than they were getting back and it worked with them in charge until the FBI shut it down for good.

As much as Dean sucked at selling cars and catering to the female demographic, he actually could move hot tubs and the award he won was proof of that. 

Rio lined up for another shot and Beth found herself getting more frustrated by the minute, "you said I needed a system, this is my system".

He broke into her house when he should've been dead and watched her dance around her kitchen, then proceeded to drive her to a car wash in the middle of nowhere to give her advice that she didn't ask for. Rio still wanted to be her teacher, so why wouldn't he respond?

"Sistema," Mick said, earning a chuckle from his boss.

She sent his right hand man a pointed look. It was one thing for Rio to enjoy pushing her buttons, she could handle that, she liked that. It was another thing for him to let his underlings disrespect her.

Beth didn't need his approval, but even after everything they had gone through she still found herself wanting to impress him.

Like with the cash. He showed up after months of threatening to kill her and demanded that she show him how their cash was made. There was no point in lying to him, so she used the opportunity to show Rio that not only did she learn from him, but that she grew those few months they were apart. 

_"I think I need you alive"._

She grabbed a pool ball and chucked it at the artwork across the way. The sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the bar.

Even though Mick was inching toward her, she kept her eyes on Rio. He rolled his shoulders, putting some of his weight on the pool stick. Beth wasn't going to be ignored or intimidated. 

"Go ahead and hate it because you didn't think of it. But your stupid car wash, it's one of the IRS's first targets, right behind coin laundromats, I googled it".

There she went mentioning google again. At what point would he get concerned with her search history. 

"Guess what's not on the list? Hot tubs".

She finally had his undivided attention and it felt good. Beth was being the boss bitch he knew she could be, it was who she truly was, not that little wifey Dean desperately tried to hold on to.

"They're called spas" he titled his head and Mick took that as an order to leave.

Mick offered her a small smile when he reached the door, one that could only be interpreted as a final goodbye. 

There'd be no more sauce or IHop runs, no more stories about Mrs. Karpinski catering to Mick's every need or fake herpes when she misinterpreted him wanting sex instead of a hot tub.

Beth swallowed hard as Rio rounded the table. 

_"You're my girl, I'll do it myself"._

The first three words would've made her heart flutter if the last four hadn't sent a chill down her spine. 

"Let's play for it, Elizabeth".

Beth wasn't an expert at pool and only played once with Ruby on her twenty-first birthday. They had themselves a couple drinks, dancing the night away to whatever terrible selection played over the jukebox. 

They were about to leave when they were approached by two older gentlemen, one who had a red handkerchief sticking out of his shirt pocket. He asked if they wanted to play strip billiards, apparently that was a game and he even ran over the rules.

Beth had a newborn at home and had no desire to strip in the middle of a bar for a stranger, so they left. None of that applied when it came to Rio and if she thought hard enough about it, she knew him too.

"I want to add a stipulation".

He hummed, picking up the ball that she tossed over by the jukebox.

"Whenever someone gets a foul, they lose a piece of clothing".

Go big or go home, that was the only way to win with him and for all she knew, maybe she'd actually be good at the game.

If Beth won, they'd go along with the spa idea and if Rio picked up the victory, it was back to the drawing board.

"Heads or tails?".

"Tails" she answered, watching him flip the coin in the air. It was heads and Rio deferred, letting her take the first shot.

Beth ran the chalk over the tip of the cue stick and made her way to the side of the table. The balls pinged around and as luck would have it she potted a solid red ball. Going forward she needed to remember to avoid the stripes and for a brief second she felt like she actually stood a chance.

He took his turn, sending a striped blue ten into the lower right pocket in an equally successful move.

The second round was when everything started to go awry. She had it in the right position, there was no way it would miss the corner hole, except it did. The cue ball rolled across the table and onto the floor below with a thud, a foul.

It was just one piece of clothing and it was her idea after all. She unzipped her boot and placed it on the nearby booth, the one they sat at when he tried to frame her for Lucy's murder. 

Rio smiled, glancing down at her feet and she peaked herself, trying to remember from the one visible sock if she grabbed them from her drawer or the laundry basket on the way out of the house. She didn't have time to dwell on his reaction because he took three steps forward and made his next shot, accidently knocking in Beth's solid yellow.

She waited to see what he would remove, knowing already that he'd return the favor and take off a sneaker and he did, placing it right beside her boot.

It went back and forth for a while, each of them making a few mistakes every now and then. With their shoes and socks gone it was only a matter of time before one of them showed skin, although Rio tried to be sneaky and slip off a ring just to spite her.

"That's cheating".

He held his hands up and removed his belt instead, hanging it off to the side of her jacket. 

There were six balls remaining, not including the two that were needed for the game to continue. 

Beth readied the stick and tapped the cue ball, then pulled back to readjust her shot. "Touched twice, mama".

Another foul.

His eyes dropped to her chest, watching as she pulled the black turtleneck over her head. 

Rio missed and her breath caught when he removed his shirt, catching sight of the three red scars on his chest.

_"Lung, spleen, shoulder"._

All she wanted to do that night was have a couple of drinks with Rhea, complaining about Judith and her desire to run a household that wasn't hers, but Rio decided that was the perfect time to burst back into her life. Ruby wasn't kidding when she said he had nine lives.

Beth looked down at the table, they both made mistakes that night. For months she considered herself a murderer, trying to make right by his family to ease her guilt. Rio on the other hand couldn't bring himself to kill her and Lucy paid the ultimate price in her place.

She shuffled her feet back to the pool table, letting out a breath she didn't know that she was holding in. 

The next shot was a bust, she didn't give the cue ball enough force and it barely budged on the table. Beth stepped out of her jeans and neatly folded them, laying them on top of the pile.

Rio's eyes darkened, drinking in her current state of undress and she felt heat pool between her legs. 

It was his turn and once again Rio deliberately sunk her ball. Beth refused to believe he was that terrible at the game, it had to be intentional. 

"You gotta sink the eight ball, Elizabeth".

Then the night would be over and she would head home with a victory over Rio.

Beth considered it, taking the easy way out for once and walking away, but since when did they do anything without making their business relationship more complicated. 

She made her way over to him, keeping her back turned and slid her thumb into the waistband of her panties, giving them a small tug and hoped Rio would get the hint. The game was technically over and while she didn't have that medal he jokingly wanted a while back, she could offer him a consolation prize that would be mutually beneficial.

It was reminiscent of their first time, that night in the bar where Beth showed up looking for him, hoping that what she felt wasn't one sided. He followed her, walking right past Dean and into the bathroom.

_"Can't we just go back?"._

_"That's up to you"._

Beth did want to go back, it wasn't just a lie to get paid for their hard work. 

His hand slipped down the front of her panties, "all this for me?".

She nodded, head lolling back against his shoulder. He removed his hand and gently grabbed her wrist, turning her around so he could hoist her up on the pool table.

Beth scooched closer to the edge of the table and pushed her panties to the side, briefly closing her eyes when Rio rubbed his hand over her pussy.

"Mm, yeah" Beth moaned, running her hand down his neck as he sucked her clit. He slipped in a second finger and she moved against him.

Looking up from between her legs, he met her eyes and in that moment Beth swore he owned the user manual to her body.

Rio stood abruptly, tongue wetting his lips, "forgot how good you taste". 

She reached out and ran her hand down his chest, placing a kiss to each scar she passed. 

Everything about that evening would've been considered a mistake to the girls. She shouldn't have gone to the bar, shouldn't have included him in their business and she sure as hell shouldn't be fucking him. All rational thoughts went out the window when he was around and Rio was equally conflicted. 

Beth lifted her hips slightly, just enough for Rio to slide her panties off and place her leg on his shoulder.

He rubbed the head of his cock over her cunt, teasing before pushing into her, both moaning once he was deep inside, "Fuck".

Slowly rocking his hips, he palmed her breast and picked up the pace when Beth started writhing against him.

A "yes" mantra spilled from her mouth as Beth clung to Rio, feeling pressure in her stomach. 

"Say my name, Elizabeth" It was quiet, like a wish not a demand. 

But when he hit just right she screamed out "Rio!".

He smirked, grabbing her hips, his fingers digging into her skin to the point that she would remember him for weeks. Good, Beth didn't want to forget about it. 

Rio groaned, feeling her clench around him and Beth knew he was close when his brows furrowed, concentrating on his thrusts. 

After a small nod from Beth, he soon released inside her, the stickiness coating her thighs.

They made no attempt to move, not at first, resting their foreheads against one another as they tried to regain their breath. 

"Hold on, alright?" He pulled out and went to grab some napkins from behind the bar.

Beth was spent and laid back, landing directly on the eight ball. She winced and pushed it into the center pocket, inadvertently giving herself the win.

Rio chuckled on the way over and helped her sit back up, rubbing the back of her head. "You good, mama? How many fingers?".

"Two".

He hummed, "don't think you gotta concussion".

Beth covered her face, slightly embarrassed because who whacked their head on a loose pool ball after sex? Now during sex that would've made sense.

Rio removed her hands, lightly pressing his lips to hers. 

Beth crashed back into him, not giving herself a chance to overthink his actions. He tasted of her and bourbon, an intoxicating mix that she couldn't get enough of.

She wrapped her legs around his hips, trying to pull him closer but the damn pool table prevented it. Rio felt her pout against his lips and grabbed her ass, bringing her closer to himself. 

Moving her hips against him, Beth gasped when his hand slipped back between them and grazed her sensitive clit.

It was Rio who reluctantly pulled away first, brushing her bottom lip with his thumb. "Mick's got your cut".

He finished cleaning her off, tossing the used napkins into a nearby trash can.

"Mick? Oh God, Mick".

Beth completely forgot his right hand man was in a back office somewhere, listening to everything that happened. _Everything_. 

"Yea, don't wanna hear those words comin' from you".

"I told him I had herpes".

Rio chortled, giving her a chaste kiss before helping her down. "You somethin else, ma. Get dressed".

After a quick phone call Mick returned, almost relieved to see Beth alive and well.

Rio looked her over one last time before dropping the cue stick into the holder. "Pay her, deduct the artwork".

He bent down and scooped her panties off the floor, tucking them into his back pocket. She left them there on purpose, just in case he tossed the old pair while he was plotting revenge and wanted a memento. 

Beth smiled to herself, watching Rio descend down the hall to what she assumed was his office.

Not only was she proud of herself for taking initiative and coming up with a solution that gave her and the girls back control of their business, but she also found out Rio didn't despise her as much as he let on. 

"You got some green shit in your hair" Mick said, pointing to her right side. 

Mick knew all about her shooting Rio and their more intimate past, he didn't even appear shocked when he was put on baby mama watch. "You and the boss are gettin' along, huh?".

She didn't have an answer to that.

Beth waited until she was outside to comb her fingers through her hair.

Pulling out her phone, she saw there were a few frantic messages from Ruby and Annie wondering where she was, one from Dean asking if half a gallon was enough milk to make the kids french toast in the morning and one in particular that caught her eye.

It was from Rio, a picture of her panties on his desk and the message simply read, "partners".

_Partners._

It was dysfunctional and fucking insane, but it worked for them. Rio was her partner, for better and for worse. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks again for reading!! 
> 
> As always, I'm on tumblr @xstrawmari


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